Textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges

Abstract

A textile fabric for dissipating electrostatic charges achieves remarkably low surface resistivity by forming into a fabric ground structure a matrix of electrically conducted yarns wherein electrical connections between the yarns are made by plural successive interconnections of two electrically conductive yarns, e.g., by plating electrically conductive yarns across multiple successive stitches in a knitted fabric ground structure.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A textile fabric capable of conducting electrical current sufficiently for dissipating electrical charges, the textile fabric comprising a knitted structure of yarns formed in loops successively interknitted with one another and aligned in wales oriented longitudinally along a lengthwise extent of the fabric and courses oriented transversely along a widthwise extent of the fabric, the fabric including a plurality of electrically conductive yarns contained within the knitted structure in a pattern wherein the electrically conductive yarns intersect in electrical contact with one another to form a matrix for conducting electrical charges to be dissipated, at least some of the intersections between the electrically conductive yarns comprising a plurality of knitted loops of each electrically conductive yarn successively interknitted with one another within successive courses of a common wale in the knitted structure for enhanced electrical conductivity between the electrically conductive yarns. 
     
     
       2. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  1 , wherein the yarns of the knitted structure are warp knitted with one another. 
     
     
       3. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  1 , wherein the yarns of the knitted structure are interknitted in a is dimensionally stable stitch pattern. 
     
     
       4. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  1 , wherein the electrically conductive yarns comprise textile fiber having electrically conductive elements substantially uniformly distributed therein. 
     
     
       5. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  4 , wherein the electrically conductive yarns comprise a synthetic polymeric fiber having the electrically conductive elements suffused therein. 
     
     
       6. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  4 , wherein the electrically conductive elements are carbon particles. 
     
     
       7. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  1 , wherein the electrically conductive yarns are interknitted with one another at the intersections therebetween. 
     
     
       8. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  7 , wherein the electrically conductive yarns are warp knitted with one another. 
     
     
       9. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  1 , wherein each intersection between the electrically conductive yarns extends across the interknitted loops of a plurality of successive courses. 
     
     
       10. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  9 , wherein the electrically conductive yarns are interknitted with one another at the intersections therebetween. 
     
     
       11. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  10 , wherein the yarns of the knitted structure and the electrically conductive yarns are warp knitted with one another. 
     
     
       12. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  11 , wherein the knitted structure is a warp knitted construction comprising two sets of ground yarns warp knitted in substantially every wale and course in a dimensionally stable stitch pattern and two sets of electrically conductive yarns warp knitted in only selected wales and courses. 
     
     
       13. A textile fabric for dissipating electrical charges according to claim  12 , wherein one set of the ground yarns is warp knitted in a repeating 1-0,3-4 stitch pattern, the other set of ground yarns is warp knitted in a repeating 1-2,1-0 stitch pattern, one set of the electrically conductive yarns is warp knitted in a repeating (1-0,0-1)×2, 1-2,2-3, (3-4,4-3)×2, 3-2,2-1 stitch pattern, and the other set of electrically conductive yarns is warp knitted in a repeating (3-4,4-3)×2, 3-2,2-1, (1-0,0-1)×2, 1-2,2-3 stitch pattern.